“If I had to sum up this season in one sentence, I’d say it’s a celebration of who we are as an Orchestra, who we are as a city, and who we are as a country.” – Ward Stare
What does “American Music” bring to mind for you? For many, it might be the ‘wide-open prairie’ sound often associated with Aaron Copland. Others might think of George Gershwin’s jazzy downtown swing, or, perhaps, of a favorite movie theme or musical theater song.
Of course, American music is all of this and so much more. In little more than 200 years, American composers have added a distinct and indelible note to the classical canon, one that both builds upon the European tradition and injects aspects of other styles, from jazz and folk to pop and electronic. This season, RPO audiences will get the unique chance to explore America’s vast and varied musical landscape as Ward Stare leads the Orchestra’s first-ever American Music Festival, October 23–November 5. This multi-week celebration will feature music by 20th century greats like Copland, Gershwin, Barber, and Bernstein, alongside some of the brightest musical voices of today, including Pulitzer Prize winners Christopher Rouse, John Adams, and Jennifer Higdon.
From familiar favorites to new discoveries, this special festival will be characterized by a spirit of musical excitement and adventure, and promises to be a concert experience that will be remembered for years to come. Join us!
Click here to get your American Music Festival tickets now, or call 585-454-2100.
Festival highlights
Here’s a closer look at what’s in store:1. Celebrating Rochester: The RPO’s 2016 festival harkens back to the days of Rochester’s annual Festival of American Music, which took place from 1930–71. Initiated by former Eastman School of Music Director Howard Hanson, the festivals premiered over 200 American works and made Rochester a center for American Music. The RPO’s festival also salutes famed composer and Rochester native David Diamond, whose Rounds for String Orchestra kick off the whole event on October 23.
2. Movies and Musicals: In the festival's second concert (Oct. 27 & 29), we’ll pay homage to the music of Hollywood and Broadway. John Williams’ For New York takes up the well-known tunes of Bernstein’s “New York, New York” and “America.” Gershwin’s famous “I Got Rhythm” gets the virtuoso treatment as it’s woven into a series of dazzling piano variations, performed by Andrew Russo. And, we’ll dive into the gritty world of On the Waterfront with music from Bernstein’s powerful film score.
3. Modern Chaos, Age-Old Questions: Few works tackle as complex a topic as John Adams’ 2005 opera Dr. Atomic, which centers on “father of the atomic bomb” J. Robert Oppenheimer in the days leading up to the first test detonation. The opera, and its derivative symphony, explore the paradoxical atmosphere of scientific breakthrough and moral abhorrence experienced by those who worked on the bomb. The anarchy of Adams’ music is poignantly paired with Charles Ives’ haunting quest for meaning, The Unanswered Question.
4. “The world’s finest percussionist”: Scottish percussionist Colin Currie has been hailed as “the world’s finest and most daring percussionist” (The Spectator), and he’ll join the RPO November 3 & 5 for Jennifer Higdon’s Percussion Concerto, a piece which was composed specifically for him. The concerto won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition and traverses the spectrum of the percussion sound, including everything from marimba to Peking Opera gong.
5. A finale to remember: Few pieces are as soul-stirring as Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, and he incorporates fragments of this iconic theme throughout his Third Symphony, which the RPO will perform in the festival’s closing concerts (November 3 & 5). At the very end of the symphony, the entire Fanfare is played in all its brassy, unbridled glory. It’s as exciting as it gets, and the perfect way to end this festival.
RPO American Music Festival Details and Dates:
Diamond, Gershwin & Copland: Sunday, Oct. 23 (2 PM)Performance Hall at Hochstein
Ward Stare, conductor
DIAMOND Rounds
GERSHWIN Lullaby
CHRISTOPHER ROUSE Iscariot
ALAN FLETCHER If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler
COPLAND The Tender Land Suite
American Music: Stage & Screen: Thursday, Oct. 27, 7:30 PM & Saturday, Oct. 29, 8 PM
Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre
Ward Stare, conductor | Andrew Russo, piano
JOHN WILLIAMS For New York (Variations on Themes of Leonard Bernstein)
GERSHWIN “I Got Rhythm” Variations
BERNSTEIN Symphonic Suite from On the Waterfront
IVES The Unanswered Question
JOHN ADAMS Dr. Atomic Symphony
Concert sponsor: Constellation Brands
Higdon, Copland & Barber: Thursday, Nov. 3 (7:30 PM) & Saturday, Nov. 5 (8 PM)
Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre
Ward Stare, conductor | Colin Currie, percussion
BARBER Medea's Meditation and Dance of Vengeance
JENNIFER HIGDON Percussion Concerto
COPLAND Symphony No. 3
